Where can I catch Halibut in the UK?

Mostly offshore northern North Atlantic; only occasional inshore records.

What tackle do I need to catch Halibut?

Most juniors catch Halibut on straightforward float or feeder setups with balanced line and hook sizes and a small landing net.

What bait works well for Halibut?

Natural baits such as maggots, worms or bread often work well for Halibut.

Halibut species guide • Sea fish • Easy (4/10)

Halibut junior fishing guide

Hippoglossus hippoglossus

A clear, plain-English guide to halibut for parents, coaches and juniors. See where they live, the best starter tackle, simple bait choices and a three-step plan to help young anglers catch their first one safely.

🎣 View starter tackle setups 📋 Log a Halibut catch

Junior-first & welfare-aware • 3-step beginner plan • UK venues & seasons

Skill & size • Seasons • Beginner baits

Skill level

Easy (4/10)

Great for coached juniors and confident beginners.

Best time

Spring–Autumn

Pick mild, settled days for junior sessions.

Typical size

Usually only small fish encountered around UK; true giants occur in deeper northern waters.

Always match hooks, nets & lines to expected fish size.

Beginner baits

Maggots, worms, bread

Keep it simple — small hook baits, little-and-often feeding.

Typical venues: Deep offshore banks and slopes in northern seas.

Scroll down for detailed tackle setups, methods and parent-friendly guidance.

Catch your first halibut with confidence

Catch your first Halibut in 3 steps

A simple, repeatable plan juniors can follow with help from a parent, coach or older angler.

Step 1

Use them as examples of flatfish variety

These flatfish often require specific tides, baits and sometimes boat access. Juniors may encounter smaller fish but they are not ideal first targets.
Step 2

If targeted, use strong but tidy rigs

Running ledgers or pulley rigs with neat worm or fish baits on strong hooks are best. Keep rigs simple so juniors can understand how they work.
Step 3

Talk about size limits and habitat

Use each species to explain different seabeds (sandbanks, reefs, deep water) and why minimum landing sizes exist.

Tackle setups that work

Designed with juniors and fish welfare in mind. Start with an IDEAL or GOOD setup for easier casting and safe unhooking.

We don’t have tackle recommendations for this species yet. Ask your club coach for a simple, junior-friendly rig and check back soon.

About the Halibut

Halibut are huge flatfish capable of growing to enormous sizes. Around the UK they are mainly an offshore species and not a normal shore-angling target.

Junior tip

Use Halibut mainly as an example of big, offshore flatfish when teaching fish identification rather than as a realistic target species.

Logged a Halibut recently?

Add a catch report so juniors can see where they’re being caught, which baits work and how your tackle was set up.

Submit a catch report

Want to discover more species? Browse the full species guide.

← Back to all species

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For parents & carers

Use this page to quickly judge if Halibut are a good match for your child’s confidence and ability.

●Clear guidance on safe handling, landing nets and unhooking.
●Beginner tackle that’s lightweight and manageable for juniors.
●Written in plain language so non-angling parents can still support on the bank.

At a glance

Family: Pleuronectidae
Feeding zone: Bottom
Diet: Fish, large crustaceans and other benthic prey.
Typical size: Usually only small fish encountered around UK; true giants occur in deeper northern waters.
Best season: Cold-water species; rarely a realistic junior target in the UK.
Conservation: Heavily exploited in some areas; subject to strict commercial management.
UK distribution: Mostly offshore northern North Atlantic; only occasional inshore records.